rock landscape

[Aquamarina]

Hi. I am looking for some advice re: re-laying the rock in our fish-only tank. Our cowfish is not the right shape for sliding in and out of the crannies we currently have in our wall tank, which is 3' deep by 6' wide, open on one side only. He has been stuck 4 times in the last year, causing a lot of anxiety and work to get him free. Apollo has never learned, apparently, to swim backwards or to plan ahead. After the last session, I am seriously considering offering him to a good home (which we are reluctant to do as he is the most personable member of the tank), or discovering whether we can get some lighter, more movable rock. Our current rock is red lava rock, I think, and is quite heavy.

My question is whether anyone can recommend someone who would lay some different rock for us.

I will try to attach a photo of Apollo in one of his predicaments. This situation occurred on the inaccessible side of the tank (where I can't even clean the glass well), and it took 3 of us (2 for relaying messages to the operator who couldn't see what he was doing) about 2 hrs to free him by chipping at the rock with a steel metre stick. During the time, we were not only anxious about his welfare, but hoped to goodness he wasn't going to release his toxins! [img]

Thanks.
Anne

[EmilyB]

Is he really stuck ?

:eek:

I don't know anything about cowfish, but I know our trigger will hold himself in a rock with his fins if he feels threatened :question:

[MitchM]

Anne,
If you pack the rocks too tight, you'll wind up with algae problems from lack of circulation within the crevices.

Could the water current be holding him/her in place?
Maybe you could change the water current direction instead.

Mitch

[andestang]

Apollo has never learned, apparently, to swim backwards or to plan ahead.
They are poor swimmers and get themselves into situations. I had one that would get trapped between the glass and a powerhead, tried different placement of things that would cause a problem only to have him find another :rolleyes: Best of luck as they cute little characters :cool:

[Aquamarina]

Hi again. Sorry the photo didn't get attached. You could definitely see that he really was stuck. The most recent time, he was stuck between a rock and the glass, and I couldn't move the rock. He tried to swim forward but made no headway at all, and we ended up pushing quite strongly on his "neck" with a rubber coated scraper handle until he finally dropped to a clear area below. After that, it took him a few minutes to regain his equilibrium.

I feel that if we could have less rock in the tank, and of lighter material, that at least we could move the rocks, if not him.

[AJ_77]

You might ask Doug (TANGOMAN) if he has some advice from a professional standpoint, as last I heard he was running a tank maintenance business in Calgary. Perhaps he could source something better for you, maybe even do the job.

Don't see him much on the board here lately, but he must get his PM's.

[TANGOMAN]

"A professional standpoint...". Me? That's very flattering but I just come here to have fun and give some of ya' a hard time... :lol:
I would have initially had the same question as Deb. I adopted her puffer and he still freaks me out some mornings when I see him wedged in crevices havin' a "snooze".
I can't offer a solution for a "lighter material" of rock. Even if there were, I don't believe that would be the answer. Like Mitch said, opening the spaces allows for greater flow throughout the system. Personally, I'd replace the lava with live rock. More visually pleasing and you lose the risk of unwanted trace elements leaching into the system. Any time you're "entering their domain" and moving things around, you're creating a stress factor that can be avoided. There's always risks of scratching the glass as well... :evil:
If you decide to replace the rock, use caution as ammonia spikes are innevitable.

[Quinn]

Wow Doug is actually here. I thought we left him down at the Cecil.

[monza]

You guys went to the cecil and didn't call? :frown:

[Cap'n]

We had change for the phone but ended up giving it all away. :twised:

[TANGOMAN]

The Cecil, no, I wasn't allowed in...apparently I didn't meet the dress code requirements... :rolleyes: . They frown on clean clothes and short hair... :lol: